Spudding wheel



Aug. 23, 1927. 1,639,654

c. M. HEE'TER srunnme WHEEL Filed April 1923 INVENTOR l atented Aug. 23, 1927-- T E S T E eATENr caries.

CHARLES M; HEETER,OF BUTL ER', PENNSYLVANIA.

SPUDDING w'HiiEL.

Application'filed April 30, 19a. Serial at. 635,531.

T pres nt inventionrelates broadly to ill-i1 ven'ients in oil'wellrigs, and more particularly to an a ttzurhment to take the' place as tspuddihg, this opera ion being. n'eces sa ry by reasonot the tact that'the depth'of the well such times is not such as to render the use the walking beam expeditious. Ordinarily, a spudding shoe has been provided forengageinent with the drilling cable during this operation. This shoe has a sliding frictional engagement with the cable and tends to quickly wear the same. 'By this invention there is provided a spudding wheel adapted to bodily replace this spudding shoe. p

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown, for purposes of illustration only, a prelerred embodiment o1 this invention, it being understood that changes may he made in the construction and operation disclosed without departing from the spirit or scope of my broader claims;

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a spudding wheel embodying the present invention, and

Fi 'ure 2 is a detail view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing the spudding wheel construction,

A. spudding wheel constructed in accordance with the present invention comprises a yoke 2 to which may be secured one of the operating cables This yoke has its ends bent to "form open hooks l; adapted to detach-ably receive and form supporting bearings for an axle 5.

This axle is conveniently formed to provide yoke engaging portions 6 adjacent each end thereof, each of the yoke engaging portions being formed with head 7 for holding the le in the desired position, In-

tern'iediate the yoke engaging portions, the axle is formed with a shoulder 8. Abut ting this shoulder at one end is a sleeve 9 which rotatably engages the intermediate portion of the axle 5 and which is held in position by a collar 10. The collar may be conveniently threaded onto the axle, and may then be secured in proper position to prevent end play of the sleeve 9, by a pin 11. The spudding wheel comprises a pulley 12 having a hub 13 of such internal diameter as to form a driven lit with the sleeve ,9.

The external diameter of the sleeve 9 is slightly greater than that of the shoulder b andthe collar l0, whereby thejhub of the p ulley may freely rotate around the'shoulder' nd collar while held in position by the SJGQVQ. i

For lubricating the bearing surface provid'e'd;litweenthe sleeve and the collar; the axle may be formed with a circumterentially ending oil groove ll, and the sleevean'd through which lubricant may be supplied, The body of the'pulley may be gt'orn'id with an annular groove 16 constituting an oil hub may tormed'with alined openings lh by the arms of theyoke 2 may extend closely adjacent the sides of the pulley and thereby prevent the cable from becoming jammed therebetween. v i

In the assembly of the parts, the sleeve is preferably placed around the axle 5, and the collar 10 is then secured in position inany suitable manner, as by the pin 11. This may then be driven as a unit into the hub of the pulley. In case renewal is necessary, the axle assembly may be driven out as a unit, and a new assembly substituted.

The advantages of the present inx' ention arise from the provision of a spudding wheel by means. or which the spudding shoe may be replaced and the life of the cable thereby increased.

Further advantages arise from the speciiic construction of spudding wheel whereby the drilling cable is eil'ectively maintained in proper position with respect thereto.

I claim:

1. In a spudding wheel, a pulley, an axle rotatably mounted therein, a yoke having open bearings engaging the ends of the axle,

and means in the pulley for holding the axle against longitudinal movement relative to the pulley independent of the yoke, the bore of the pulley being such that the assembled axle and holding means can be inserted in the pulley through one end of the bore, sub-' stantially as described.

2. In a spudding wheel, an axle assembly having a yoke-engaging portion adjacent each end of the axle, a shoulder on the axle intermediate said portions, a sleeve rotatable on said axle and abutting said shoulder at one end, said sleeve having an external diameter slightly greater than the diameter of said shoulder, means on the axle engaging the opposite end of said sleeve for holding the same in position, a pulley having a driven fit with said sleeve, said axle assembly being arranged to be driven into the wheel as a unit, and a yoke detachably cooperating with said axle, substantially as described.

3. An axle assembly for spudding wheels, comprising an axle having reduced bearing portions adjacent each end, a shoulder adjacent one bearing portion, a sleeve surrounding said axle and abutting against said shoulder at one end, and a collar carried by said axle and abutting against said sleeve at the other end, said sleeve having a greaterexternal diameter than the diameter of said shoulder and collar, said axle assembly being arranged to be inserted into the wheel as a unit, substantially as described.

4. An axle assembly for spudding wheels, comprising an axle haxing reduced bearing portions adjacent each end, a shoulder adsounding said axle and abutting against said shoulder at one end, and a collar carried by said axle and abutting algainst said sleeve at the other end, said sleeve havinga great-er external diameter than the diameter of said shoulder and collar, said assembly being adapted to be driven as a unit axially into the bore of a spudding wheel, the sleeve having a driving iit with the bore in the spudding Wheel for retaining the assembly in position therein, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand. 1

CHARLES M. HEETER.

acent one bearing portion, a sleeve sur- 

